1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic equipment and a method of controlling electronic equipment, and more particularly to a monitor and a monitoring method that are made capable of detecting abnormality of a circuit apparatus inside a television receiver accurately.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 5 shows a structural example of an audio portion of a conventional television receiver. A microcomputer 41 includes a RAM 51, and is made to control a sound processor 43 corresponding to a command from an input portion 42. The sound processor 43 includes a RAM 61 inside, processes audio data and outputs the processed data to a speaker 44.
Next, the operation thereof will be described. The microcomputer 41 executes processing shown in a flow chart in FIG. 6 when a power source of a television receiver is turned ON. First, in a step S51, start-up processing is executed. In this start-up processing, the microcomputer 41 initializes the sound processor 43, and outputs values of various parameters to the sound processor 43 in accordance with a predetermined sequence. The sound processor 43 decides the existence of abnormality by itself in accordance with the initialization processing as described later with reference to FIG. 7, and outputs abnormality detection data when abnormality is found (a step S62 in FIG. 7).
Now, in a next step S52, the microcomputer 41 decides whether abnormality detection data have been received from the sound processor 43 or not. When the abnormality detection data have not been received, the process proceeds to a step S53, where it is decided whether a preset certain time has elapsed or not. When a certain time has not elapsed, the process is returned to the step S52, and processing thereafter is executed repeatedly.
When it is decided in the step S53 that a certain time has elapsed, the process is proceeded to a step S54, where the microcomputer 41 outputs the value of a parameter which has been set at the point of time (the input processing thereof will be described later with reference to a flow chart shown in FIG. 8) when the input portion 42 is operated by a user. Then, the process is returned to the step S52, and processing thereafter is executed repeatedly.
As described above, unless the sound processor 43 outputs abnormality detection data, the microcomputer 41 transfers every time when a certain time elapses the value of a parameter the setting of which has been instructed at that point of time to the sound processor 43, thereby to have the value of the parameter set therein.
Then, in the step S52, when it is decided that the sound processor 43 has outputted abnormality detection data, the process is returned to the step S51, and start-up processing is executed.
On the other hand, when a command to start up processing is inputted from the microcomputer 41, the sound processor 43 executes the processing shown in a flow chart in FIG. 7. Namely, in a step S61 first, it is decided whether abnormality has been generated or not in point of processing. Then, when abnormality is not generated, the processing in the step S61 is executed repeatedly, and, when abnormality has been generated, the process is proceeded to a step S62, and abnormality detection data are outputted to the microcomputer 41.
In such a manner, when the abnormality detection data are outputted from the sound processor 43, the microcomputer 41 decides in the step S52 in FIG. 6 that the abnormality detection data have been received and executes start-up processing in the step S51.
On the other hand, when a volume of a sound outputted from the speaker 44 is regulated for instance, a user operates the input portion 42 so as to instruct the microcomputer 41 to set a predetermined volume quantity. The microcomputer 41 executes parameter input processing shown in a flow chart in FIG. 8 when a predetermined command is inputted from the input portion 42.
First, in a step S71, the microcomputer 41 stores the value of a parameter corresponding to an operation quantity inputted from the input portion 42 in the RAM 51 included inside. Then, the value of the parameter stored in the RAM 51 is outputted to the sound processor 43 in a step S72.
The sound processor 43 executes the processing shown in a flow chart in FIG. 9 when it receives a predetermined parameter from the microcomputer 41. Namely, first, in a step S81, the value of the parameter inputted from the microcomputer 41 is stored in a RAM 61 included inside. Then, in a step S82, the value of the parameter stored in the RAM 61 is read out and set processing corresponding to the value of the parameter is performed. In this case, the value of the volume outputted to the speaker 44 is set to the value of the parameter inputted from the microcomputer 41.
As described above, the microcomputer 41 monitors whether the sound processor 43 shows abnormal action or not, and, when abnormality is detected, the sound processor 43 is reset in the similar manner as the time of starting up the power source, and a procedure of having the sound processor 43 act from the beginning is executed.
As described above, in a conventional apparatus, the sound processor 43 detects by itself whether abnormality has been generated or not, and, when abnormality is generated, notifies the microcomputer 41 to that effect. Thus, there has been such a subject that the microcomputer 41 cannot detect abnormality in the case of a sound processor that has no function of detecting generation of abnormality by itself or a sound processor that has no function of notifying the abnormality to the outside even when it is detected.
Further, there is also such a case that, even in the case of a sound processor having a function of outputting abnormality detection data, the power source is turned OFF once because of power breakdown for instance, abnormality is generated once in the sound processor 43, the power breakdown is recovered thereafter, and electric power becomes to be supplied again, thus returning to a normal state. In such a case, there has been such a subject that, even if the value of the parameter is set to an abnormal value at time of abnormality, the value is regarded as a normal value and it becomes difficult to detect the value as an abnormal value.
Even when abnormality is generated because of instant power breakdown or the like, the sound processor 43 generates an abnormally large sound at time of recovery sometimes when the power breakdown is recovered soon.
As described with reference to the steps S53 and S54 shown in FIG. 6, the microcomputer 41 sets the value of the parameter stored in the RAM 51 at that time to the sound processor 43 repeatedly at intervals of certain time so that a proper value of a parameter may be set even when abnormality has been generated. Once abnormality is generated, however, the abnormal state cannot be recovered sometimes only by resetting the value of the parameter. In such a case, the abnormal state cannot be returned to a normal state eventually.